Online purchases have increased substantially in recent years. Factors contributing to the growth of online purchases include increased selection, the ability to compare offer prices, access to product comparison information such as consumer reviews, and increased convenience in not having to spend the time and expense associated with traveling to and purchasing a product at a traditional brick and mortar store. Often, a product purchased online is shipped directly to the purchaser, thereby further increasing convenience.
Shipping a purchased item(s) directly to a purchaser, however, adds to the overall cost of the purchase. Shipping cost can be substantial with certain purchased items, such as with heavy and/or bulky items. As a result, many online sellers offer free or reduced priced shipping to ship the purchased item(s) to a facility near the purchaser for pickup by the purchaser. For example, many brick and mortar store chains offer online purchase of items with free or reduced price shipping of the purchased item(s) to a store selected by the purchaser for pickup by the purchaser. While such reduced or free shipping serves to reduce shipping costs, the convenience of such a delivery approach is reduced as the purchaser has to travel to the selected store and often has to spend a substantial amount of time within the store to pick up the purchased item(s). As a result, there is a need for improved approaches for delivering items purchased online to a purchaser.